S+ART

Tips and Techniques: Realism and Cubism

 Vicente Manansala, 1975 Market Scene

There are many types of painting and drawing techniques and as an artist you have the freedom to mix them to create your own style.  Many artists in the past have found their style this way and some even created styles that are used today.  In particular, realism and cubism can be combined to create fascinating pieces of art.  These two together depict objects realistically but put an emphasis on their geometric form and shape.

 Pan Van Londen, 2009 Songwriter2 

To combine these two in the formal and most known way, you should use a variety of colors and abstract shapes of still life objects.  One artist in particular, Georgia O’Keeffe, used bright colors contrasted against softer colors.  Along with the color pallet the artist would stretch shapes and colors further than they may be represented in reality to help the mind imagine what the subject looks like abstractly.

 Georgia O'Keefe Red Canna 

Although cubism is incorporated in this technique, there are no sharp edges or corners.  The lines and contours should be crisp and clear so there is definition between the background and foreground.  Above all, the point of this technique is to take everyday images and subjects and transform them into an abstract picture with flowing emphasized lines.

Quote of the week

 I know now that most people are so closely concerned with themselves that they are not aware of their own individuality--I can see myself, and it has helped me to say what I want to say in paint.

Answer will be posted on Friday, February 5th.

Going Ons: Explore DC Galleries

With a federal holiday on Monday and slightly warmer temperatures in the forecast, this might be the perfect winter weekend to venture out and explore some of DC’s galleries.

 

Industry Gallery has its grand opening on Saturday, January 16 with an exhibit featuring work by Israeli-born artist Shlomo Harush. “Round the Corner,” Harush’s first U.S. solo show, uses stainless steel and aluminum to look at the sculptural aspects of conventional seating units. Industry is located 1358 Florida Avenue N.E., above Conner Contemporary Art. The District’s newest gallery will specialize in 21^st-century design, especially functional art from industrial materials. For more information, see http://www.pinklineproject.com/article/industry-gallery-industrial-debut

 

Also on Saturday, Transformer marks the start of its 2010 season. The gallery hosts DC artist Jessica Cebra and Zach Storm, who will be turning the gallery space into a “snowglobe winter wonderland.” In a special collaboration, there will also be a live ballet performance choreographed by Washington Ballet director Septime Webre. The performance begins at 6 p.m. (warning: this will be outside!) followed by an opening reception from 7 to 9 p.m. Transformer is located at 1404 P Street NW.

Jess Cebra and Zach Storm, Holding Hands in the Snow (Globe), 2010

An ongoing exhibit at the National Gallery of Art has something for all you photography lovers. “In the Darkroom: Photographic Processes Before the Digital Age” looks at the evolution of photography, from its origins to the advent of digital photography. Examples of many photographic processes are on display, including salted paper, gelatin silver, and photomechanical processes such as photogravure and halftone. You can also see sketches by William Henry Fox Talbot, the inventor of photography, and Polaroid prints by Andy Warhol. The exhibition is on view in the National Gallery's West Building, Ground Floor, Galleries 30-32 through March 14, 2010.

Another ongoing exhibit, this time at the National Museum of African Art, features British-born Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare MBE. The exhibition encompasses fourteen years in the artist’s career, with examples of painting, sculpture, large-scale mixed-media installations, photography and film. In his work, Shonibare represents “the complex web of economic and racial interactions--and interdependencies--between Europe, Asia and Africa.” The exhibition continues through March 7.

Yinka Shonibare, Globe Children (2008)
 

 

 

Going Ons: art, music, and family-friendly fun this weekend!

On Friday, December 4th at 10:15 AM and again at 11:30 AM, the Discovery Theatre presents Seasons of Light.  Celebrate all the world holidays with their biggest show of the year!  This event is designed for kids ages 4-12.  For tickets and more information, visit: http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?utm_source=VIARC&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=Calendar&tmssource=51850&performanceNumber=218503

Also on Friday, from 10:30-11:30 AM, storyteller Diane Macklin returns to the African Art Museum for Let's Read About Africa.  Intended for ages 6 and up, Macklin introduces young audiences to Africa through children's literature by award-winning authors.  This event is free to the public.

And still on Friday, at 12 PM and several other times throughout the weekend, the Sackler Gallery brings you Kamishibai Performance by Yassan (Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, Father of Anime).  Kamishibai ("paper dramas") are a form of performance popluarized in Japan in the early twentieth century by traveling performers who bicycled from town to town, dazzling children and adults alike with exciting tales illustrated with colorful pictures.  Today Yassan, one of its foremost practitioners, travels the world bringing this distinctive folk art to new audiences.  He comes to the Freer to celebrate the work and legacy of Osamu Tezuka with a series of performances and workshops.

See Yassan perform "The Golden Bat," an Astro Boy story, and a tale inspired by an incident from Osamu Tezuka's childhood.  Performances last approximately 40 minutes.  This event is free but space is limited. 

On Friday evening, at 7:30, in the Natural History Museum's Baird Auditorium, the Resident Associate's bring you Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra.  Led by Artistic and Musical Director, David N. Baker, Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra delves into jazz's greatest works and performers in history in goups, both large and small.  This concert features music by Stan Kenton, Duke Ellighton, and Billy Strayhorn.  For more information or to purchase tickets, visit: http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?utm_source=VIARC&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=Calendar&tmssource=181896&performanceNumber=218128

On Saturday and Sunday, visit the American Indian Museum for the National Museum of the American Indian Art Market.  Just in time for the holidays!  Meet Native artists and choose gifts from a fine selection of one-of-a-kind, handmade, traditional and contemporary items available for purchase at the museum's annual art market.

On Saturday, December 5th at 7 AM, join the Resident Associate Program as it departs from 4th St. and Independence Ave. for the Met.  Come to the recently reopened American Wing of the Met and understand why stained glass truly is "painting with light" and architecture is "music frozen in time" with tour leaders Sheila Pinsker and Bill Keene.  For tickets or more information, visit:  http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?utm_source=VIARC&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=Calendar&tmssource=181896&performanceNumber=218803

Also on Saturday, from 11 AM to 2 PM in the Renwick Gallery's Grand Salon you will find the Renwick Holiday Festival.  Come in out of the cold and celebrate the winter holiday season.  Let the museum's holiday tree - adorned with hand-painted ornaments - inspire you to create your own decorations and seasonal crafts.  Decorate an ornament with the help of the Society of Decorative Painters.  Warm-up with a cup of hot cider, sit back, and enjoy listening to the Smithsonian Encore Chorale perform songs of the season.  This event is free to the public.

And after that, at 2 PM, you could join the Sackler Gallery for ImaginAsia: Seeing the Unseen.  What if you had a book that could help you decide if today was safe to ride your bike?  Long ago royalty and commoners alike in Turkey and Iran consulted the Falnama for advice and predictions about the future.  Use an activity book to examine lavishly illustrated pages from Falnamas for clues, read the omens, and follow the warnings.  In the classroom create an amulet for protection and prosperity.  This event is free and designed for kids ages 8-14 with an adult companion.  This event repeats on Sunday at 2 PM.

 

Also at 2 PM on Saturday, the Freer Gallery is holding Part Animal, Part Cup:  Drinking Vessels from Ancient Iran.  Luxurious gold and silver vessels played an important role in Persian court life during the Achaemenid period (550-330bce).  The elaborate and enigmatic rhyton combined a horn-shaped vessel with the foreparts of an animal or monster, through whose pierced mouth or chest liquid spouted.

Dr. Susanne Ebbinghaus, the George M.A. Hanfmann Curator of Ancient Art, Harvard University Museum, and Lecturer on the Classics, Harvard University, discusses the spread of this complex drinking vessel as well as other prestigious gift items among elites in the Persian empire and beyond, from the Mediterranean in the west and to Central Asia and China in the east.

Dr. Ebbinghaus speaks on Persepolis: Royal City of Ancient Persia at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, December 3.  For more information, visit www.doaks.org.

 

At 3:45 on Saturday, the Freer Gallery will present The Fantastic Adventures of Unico (Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, Father of Anime).  Based on a manga Tezuka created for Sanrio's Rirka magazine, this is the story of a little unicorn who is born with the poser to make anyone he meets happy.  Jealous gods condemn him to wander endlessly, with no home and no memories, but Unico's cheerfulness and kindness provide lessons in living in the moment in this heartrending but uplifting fable. (Adapted from notes by H. McCarthy for Osamu Tezuka: Movies into Manga, Barbican Centre, 2008).

Directed by Toshio Hirata/1981/90 min./video/Japanese dubbed in English

This event is free; first come, first served.

 

And at 4 PM on Saturday, at the American Art Museum, the Resident Associates bring you 21st Century Consort.  The 21st Century Consort presents the music of our time in a series of concerts designed to challenge, engage, and enjoy.  This concert features music by composers Sebastian Currier and Charles Ives.  For tickets or more information, visit http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?utm_source=VIARC&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=Calendar&tmssource=181896&performanceNumber=218137

 

 

--Compiled by Sarah Kramer, Studio Arts Intern

 

 

 

Technique of the Week: Drawing the Human Eye

http://www.onlypencil.com/blog/tutorials/drawing-the-human-eye/

The human eye is striking and complex, and can be found in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes.  This, coupled with the substantial metaphorical potential associated with its function, is perhaps why it makes such an intriguing subject in art.

The completion of my first drawing of a realistic human face (not the image shown above) was a transformative moment for me in my artistic progress.  To watch something so tactile emerge right in front of your eyes, and at the work of your own hand, is a truly invigorating moment which drives many artists to create.  Especially fascinating to me was the depth and beauty of the human eye.  There is an incredible amount of detail present in this small space.  It is all of the eye's detail that makes the task of reproduction both extremely intimidating, but also surprisingly easy.  Despite how difficult drawing an eye may seem to be, all you really need is a pencil and paper, enthusiasm, patience, and attention to detail.  The task could take hours, but if those hours are spent feeling the excitement of getting ever closer to your end result, they will only feel like minutes.

Here is the link to a great tutorial on drawing the eye, written by "onlypencil," which includes step-by-step process images: http://www.onlypencil.com/blog/tutorials/drawing-the-human-eye/

Give it a try!  And, as always, if you draw something you would like to share email it to TSAStudioArts@si.edu and we will consider posting it to the blog!

--Sarah Kramer, Studio Arts Intern

Going Ons: tons of fun and many family-friendly events!

All weekend, from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM, the American Indian Museum will be holding a family program entitled Foodways of the Americas.  Celebrate the foodways of the Americas with food demonstrations, hands-on activities, and much more.  The unique foods of the Americas - from chilies to chocolate and many more - travelled across the hemisphere and beyond through complex trade routes and made contributions to the entire world.  This event is presented in collaboration with the museum's Mitsitam Cafe and is free to the public.

 

On Friday, November 27th, at 11 AM and again at 1 PM, the Discovery Theatre will be presenting Little "Bread" Hen.  This special thanksgiving puppet show is designed for kids 2-7 years of age.  For tickets visit, http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?utm_source=VIARC&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=Calendar&tmssource=51850&performanceNumber=218493.

On Saturday, the 28th, from 2:30-6 PM, the Luce Foundation Center for American Art will be holding the exciting multi-media scavenger hunt, Ghosts of a Chance.  Decipher codes, follow treasure maps, send text messages (bring your text enabled cell phone), and uncover hidden objects.  Allow approximately 90 minutes to complete the hunt.  There is no admission fee to participate in this event but you must register with the Luce Foundation Center.  For more information visit, http://www.americanart.si.edu/reynolds_center/calendar.cfm?cal_month=11&date=11/28/2009, and scroll down to "Ghosts of a Chance."

Also on Saturday, the Resident Associate program will be taking a bus trip to New York City!  What could be better than NYC for the holidays?  Join us for a day in New York with time for yourself to enjoy the decorations, window shop, and view the excellent exhibitions at MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  An experienced Smithsonian representative will be available for suggestions on the best sites.  Interested?  For more information or to purchase tickets visit, http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?utm_source=VIARC&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=Calendar&tmssource=181896&performanceNumber=218956.

--Compiled by Sarah Kramer, Studio Arts Intern

Technique of the Week: Tinting the Canvas

Tinting a canvas can be a very useful technique not only in terms of saving time and materials, but also for finding inspiration and creating cohesion in your work.  Tinting of the canvas can happen as early as when you are applying the gesso.  Just mix in a small amount of an artist-quality acrylic color you would like to use.  Because gesso is water-based it is essential that you use water-soluble acrylic paint rather than oil paint, even if you plan to carry-out the rest of the painting in oils.  Furthermore, acrylic paint dries much faster than oils, making it possible to begin working far sooner. 

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http://www.compose-it-grids.com/faq.html

http://www.jenniferyoung.com/blog/category/art-care-and-display/

You can tint your painting any time throughout the painting process to create a greater sense of coherence in work that feels a little too busy or ungrounded.   When painting in oils, or any paint for that matter, try to mix the same color you used for tinting and keep it on your palette.  Use this color as you mix new colors to ensure that all of the colors you use are harmonious with this foundation, or atmosphere, you created. 

     

http://macthriftart.com/arts?category_id=83&per_page=48&sort_by=Featured

http://portableinspiration.blogspot.com/

http://marioarmengol.com/lifestory3%20revised.html

Perhaps the best news about tinting is it's a great way to save materials.  First of all, you are saving time and materials you would need to use covering up areas of white later, by quickly applying a very thin, more focussed foundation right off the bat.  Secondly, tinting gives you an opportunity to utilize all the mud colors you might have created while mixing new colors.  Mud colors are great for tinting because they are played down and neutral.  When you mix a yellow into your gesso, while nothing in painting is set in stone, you are looking at a very vibrant, warm canvas.  It is very limited.  A neutral color can much more easily and subtly pass into areas of both warm and cool.  If you know that you are going to need areas of pure, saturated color, you should consider tinting your canvas partially with neutral mud colors and partially with more vibrant primary or secondary colors as necessary.

http://www.redbubble.com/people/antwon/art/97188-11-amber-field-1

http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/7aa/7aa951.htm

http://www.redbubble.com/people/sweetblue/art/680545-3-afternoon-light

Tinting can also be a terrific means of getting passed artist blocks brought about by the stark white of the blank canvas.  The color or colors you use will have certain associations for you and may help to get you thinking.  Plus you will never have that lifeless white peeking through distractingly as you work.  Instead, your canvas will be toned down into a color likely serving as the basis of your limited color palette.  Tinting is a fast, easy way to get you started and to keep you going because it helps you keep control over color harmony as you develop your work - which can be a very tricky skill to develop!

--Sarah Kramer, Studio Arts Intern

Going Ons: Learning, Playing, and Getting in Touch with the Past

On Friday, November 20th at 10:15 AM and again at 11:30 AM, the Ripley Center's Discovery Theatre presents Secret Agent 23 Skidoo: Hip Hop for Kids.  Designed for ages 2-6, entertainment and education strike a perfect balance in this story filled party.  For more information or to purchase tickets, visit http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?utm_source=VIARC&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=Calendar&tmssource=51850&performanceNumber=218485.

On Friday, from 12:30-1:00 PM at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden you have an opportunity to learn about the current exhibition, Anne Truitt: Perception and Reflection.  Meet at the information desk for a free tour led by historian Miguel de Baca.

And later on Friday, at 7 PM, is the film screening, Prime Rose (Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, Father of Anime), held at the Freer Gallery.  A Japanese city and an American city are thrown into conflict by demonic intervention.  Prime Rose is one of the warriors, but she has a personal motive.  Time Patrol member Gai is trying to reverse the timeslip and defeat the demon.  Aired before the manga of the same title was completed, this film by Tetsu Dezaki is allegedly closer to Tezuka's original idea.  [Description adapted from text by Helen McCarthy for Movies into Manga: Osamu Tezuka, shown at Barbican Film, Barbican Centre, London, in September 2008.] Japan/1983/90 min./video/Japanese with English subtitles.  This event is free; first come, first served.

 

Also at 7 PM on Friday, you could visit the Portrait Gallery for Reel Portraits: Films by John Ford.  One of the films in Ford's "cavalry trilogy" is Fort Apache, starring John Wayne, Henry Fonda, and Shirley Temple in a veiled account of Custer's last stand.  A conversation with Frank H. Goodyear III, curator of the exhibition Faces of the Frontier, follows the screening.  This event continues in the same location on Saturday, November 21, with a double feature.  At 2 PM, see a screening of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949, 103 min.), and at 5 PM, The Searchers (1956, 119 min.) will be shown.  Portraits of George Armstrong Custer, Frederic Remington, and Charles Russell are on view in the related exhibition.  This event is free; first come, first served.

On Saturday, November 21, at 2 pm in the Renwick Gallery of the American Art Museum there will be a film screening of Handmade Nation (2009, 65 min., directed by Faythe Levine).  This film documents a movement of artists, crafters, and designers that recognizes a marriage between historical techniques, punk, and the do-it-yourself ethos, while being influenced by traditional handiwork, modern aesthetics, politics, and feminism.  This event is free; first come, first served.

On Saturday, at 3 PM the American Art Museum brings you All Wiley - No Coyote.  Award-winning improv troupe Improv Now! brings humor and spontaneity to the related exhibition.  Experience the troupe's lively parodies, based on William Wiley's art.  This event is free.  Be sure to visit the related exhibition, What's It All Mean: William T. Wiley in Retrospect.

On Saturday, at 8:30 AM join the Resident Associates as they depart from 4th St. and Independence Ave. on a day-long tour of several historic sites in D.C.  Led by architectural historian and author Dwight Young, see firsthand how the Nationial Trust for Historic Preservation works to save significant buildings and neighborhoods.  For tickets, visit: http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?utm_source=VIARC&utm_medium=SIWeb&utm_campaign=Calendar&tmssource=51850&performanceNumber=218809.

Also on Saturday, from 12-2 PM (for 10- to 14-year-olds) and 3:30-5:30 PM (for 5- to 10-year-olds) the Portrait Gallery will be holding, Facing History: Be the Artist, in its Education Center.  This two-hour art class is designed so that youth can better understand the artwork by David Eichenberg, which is on view in the Outwin Boochever exhibition.  Registered participants take a brief guided tour of the related exhibition before creating an artwork based on the main ideas of that artwork.  A parent or guardian of each child must be present.  This class is free, but you must register by calling (202) 633-8501.

Sunday, November 22, starting at 10 AM is the Smithsonian Studio Arts workshop, Photographing with Your Digital SLR.  This class includes a hands-on set-up of each student's DSLR camera; a shooting session on location; and a review of images for composition, lighting, and other aesthetic considerations.  For more information or to purchase tickets, call (202)633-3030.

--compiled by Sarah Kramer, Studio Arts Intern

Going Ons: lots and lots of Art events this weekend in DC!

On Friday, November 13th and on specific dates in the coming months, from 10:30-11:30 AM, storyteller Diane Macklin introduces young audiences to Africa through children's literature by award-winning authors.  This event is free and designed for children 6 and up.  It will be held in the lecture hall of the African Art Museum.

Also on Friday, from 10:30-12:30 AM at the American Indian Museum, Juanita Velasco demonstrates the art of weaving on the traditional back-strap loom, tells the story depicted in her weaving, and teaches visitors how to make a friendship bracelet.  This event is free to the public and Celebrates American Indian Heritage Month.  It will occur throughout November.

And still on Friday, at 1 PM in the African Art Museum Lecture Hall, scholars of African art history share their research findings from working with photographs of African artworks featured in Man Ray, African Art and the Modernist Lens, and exhibition on view at the Phillips Collection.  This event is free, so get there before seats fill up!

Or maybe you would rather spend part of Friday, Saturday, or Sunday sitting in on some artist interviews being shown at the Luce Foundation Center for American Art.  The screenings are free and continuously rolling from 11:30 AM -7:00 PM.

On Friday, November 13th from 3-6 PM in the Rasmuson Theatre of the American Indian Museum, there will be a symposium on IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas.  After opening remarks by Dr. Lonnie Bunch, Kevin Gover, moderates a discussion that highlights the challenges of African-Native American life, addresses the basic human desire to belong, and encourages people of all backgrounds to engage in a healing dialogue about the African-Native American experience.  Speakers include curators and authors Robert Keith Collins, Penny Gamble-Williams, Angela Gonzalez, Judy Kertesz, and Tiya Miles.  A book signing and reception follow. 

And on Saturday, November 14th from 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM at the American Indian Museum you have an opportunity to meet the curators of IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas.  The exibition curators share their experiences working on this remarkable exhibition and discuss the challenges and rewards of presenting the complex subject it addresses: the cultural integration and diffusion of African American and American Indian people, expecially those of blended heritage.  This event is free and open to the public.

A little later on Saturday - 11:30 AM to 3 PM - stop by the Luce Foundation Center for American Art  for some good old family fun.  Through activities and crafts you will have an opportunity to explore the stories behind the quilts in the Luce Center.  This event is free to the public.

For some more family fun in the exact same time frame, scoot on over to the Kogod Courtyard at the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.  Take off with the museums and journey out to the Western Frontier.  Dress up like Annie Oakley or George Catlin for a photo-op and make corn-husk dolls and dream catchers to take with you.  Use the scavenger hunt through the art galleries as a map to the Old West.  Then return to the Kogod Courtyard to enjoy bluegrass music and storytelling.

And still more family fun can be found between 1 and 3 PM at The Sant Ocean Hall of the Natural History Museum.  In an explosion of harmonies, the Washington Revels perform a selection of chanteys - a musical tradition of the sea.  Voyaging sailors sang chanteys to the rhythm of their movements while working, and their tunes - some familiar and some less so - have stood the test of time.  In a sampling of these long-loved melodies, the renowned Revels bathe The Sant Ocean Hall in song.  This event is free to the public.

This weekend the Resident Associate Studio Arts Program has some workshops starting up as well:

Digital Camera Basics, Nov. 14th at 10 AM:  This hands-on workshop covers topics such as obtaining a good exposure using various shooting modes; making exposure adjustments on an image that is too light or dark; controlling color and tone as files are captured; understanding resolution, picture quality, and file formats such as JPEG and RAW; transferring files to the computer; and organizing files with a browser.

Design 101 for Quilt Makers, Nov. 15 at 10 AM:  Artists working in any medium all draw from the same basic pool of information known as the elements of art - the tools - and the principles of good design - the rules.  Whether you are new to quilt making or are a seasoned veteran and would like to begin to translate your own ideas into fabric, the tools and rules are here to help you get started.

To register for a class go to the Smithsonian Studio Arts website (http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/landing/studio-arts.aspx), scroll down, and to the left you'll see a list of different media.  Click on the medium or media of interest to find classes we offer and click on the class title to purchase tickets.  You can register as late as 2:00 PM on the first day of the class.

 

--Compiled by Sarah Kramer, Studio Arts Intern, using descriptions from Smithsonian: Events website and Smithsonian Studio Arts website

Technique of the Week: Encaustic Painting

Encaustic Painting is an art form that dates as far back as the ancient Greeks.  This process was originally used to fill cracks in the hulls of ships, but with the addition of pigment it became an artistic medium. 

What is it exactly?  Encaustic literally means "to burn in."  The pigments you use are blended into melted beeswax and - if you want your painting to end up harder and more resistent to heat - a little damar resin.  Paraffin can be used as a cheap alternative to beeswax, but it tends to be more brittle.  While working, your melted pigments are in containers (ideally muffin tins) over a griddle or hot plate staying around 225 degrees (175 degrees without damar).  Keep any brushes you are using either on a hot surface or in the encaustic so they stay warm and ready for use.  If the encaustic is over-heated (i.e. 250 degrees, and boiling) it can produce toxic fumes, so avoid overheating and work in a well-ventilated area.  While not working, you can let the pigments cool and pop them out of their molds to store. 

Hamid Zavareei

 

Alicia Tormey

So how do you paint with it?  You will want to use a rigid support, like wood.  Canvas is far too flimsy and will likely cause your painting to crack over time.  Even when working on wood, however, you will want to seal it to prevent the wood from absorbing moisture and warping.  After sealing, apply a couple of layers of authentic gesso to the painting surface so that the encaustic will stick.  When you begin painting you will need to work on a flat surface - as opposed to an easel or wall - so that the wax does not run.  At least initially, it is best to paint with a large, flat brush very quickly and in thin layers because of the encaustic's rapid drying time.  After each addition, you will use a torch to re-melt the new layer so that it evenly and properly fuses with the wood panel or layers underneath. 

Carmel Brennan, The Map of the World

Options for manipulating the layers of your encaustic painting are endless.  You can do so by scraping them, chipping them, melting them with the torch, and using heated utencils.  You can experiment with using oil paints and other materials to add details on and between layers.  And, since you can so easily incorporate photographs and other materials within the layers you apply, encaustic is terrific for creating seamless collages and mixed-media work. 

Encaustic paintings tend to have a signature glow to them and a strong sense of depth, so, while the process may seem rather involved and messy, the results are incredibly beautiful. 

--Sarah Kramer, Studio Arts Intern

References:

Molly Cliff-Hilts, http://www.mollycliffhilts.com/encaustic-technique.php

Sinopia Pigments, "Encaustic and Wax Paste," http://www.sinopia.com/encausticandwaxpaste.aspx